The hostility between West African countries Nigeria and Niger might cease in the coming days as President Bola Tinubu has directed the opening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Niger.
The borders connecting the two neighbouring countries were closed in August 2023 following a military coup in Niger which saw democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum ousted and locked up on 26 July 2023.
The Nigerian government also imposed other far-reaching sanctions on Niger, including cutting off electricity supply to the country to persuade the military junta led by Omar Tchiani, who was previously the head of the presidential guards, to free the detained Bazoum and members of his family, as well as returning to constitutional order.
Tchiani was obstinate. He teamed up with other military governments in the region to guard his territory and recently announced Niger’s withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
President Tinubu, according to his spokesman Ajuri Ngalale, following the earlier actions of ECOWAS, declared that all the sanctions on Niger be “lifted immediately.”
ECOWAS had agreed to lift economic sanctions it heaped on the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea at a meeting in Abuja on 24 February 2024.
The sanctions the Nigerian government has lifted are as follows: Closure of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic, as well as ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger Republic; suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, as well as freezing of all service transactions, including utility services and electricity to Niger Republic.
Freezing of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks and freezing of assets of the Republic of Niger, state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial banks; suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID and BOAD; and travel bans on government officials and their family members.
Ezinwanne Onwuka, senior staff reporter and columnist with WAP is a Nigerian-based writer and content developer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her interests include reading, writing, researching and graphic designing.
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